W hile Australia and New Zealand are known worldwide for wine, and craft beer is fastmoving out of the boutique niche, there’s one alcoholic trend that has been slower to take off – distilled spirits. Until now, that is. Rum is possibly the most well-known Australian-made spirit, with a history dating back to the 1790s and the New South Wales Corps – aka The Rum Corps. Yet, despite its place in history, distilled spirits have had a chequered past, with the government heavily regulating, taxing and even banning small-scale distilling. As with any type of prohibition, people find ways to get around the ban, and stories of illicit stills and the resulting moonshine add colour to the histories ofmany Australian towns. Today, home distilling still operates in something of a twilight zone. While in New Zealand home distilling is allowed – within limits – Australia requires that you have a licence to distil spirits. Australians can buy stills up to five litres in volume, which are readily available in any home-brew shop. However, without a licence, they can only be used for non-alcoholic means, such as distilling water and essential oils. Despite the legalities, Australia’s burgeoning range of gourmet industries has seen a growing interest in craft spirits. Licensed craft distillers in Australia and New Zealand are fastmaking a name for themselves on the world stage, winning international awards and accolades for a broad mix of boutique spirits and liqueurs. While some distillers can trace their recipes back to the moonshiners of days gone by, modern craft distilleries are producing spirits better suited for drinking in the castles of Scotland than on the front 122 VIRGINBLUE modern MOONSHINE SOMETHING’S BREWING IN THE BACKYARD… MATT KIRKEGAARD DRINKS UP AND TOASTS A NEW TREND – CRAFT DISTILLERIES.